,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bifc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bd1 #bjah
 ,mr4 ,menendez introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,foreign          
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to repeal the   
prohibition on the transfer of articles 
on the ,united ,states ,munitions ,list 
to the ,republic of ,cyprus4  #a4 ,short
 title  ,this ,act may be cited as the  
,end the ,cyprus ,arms ,embargo ,act4   
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3 7#a7 ,the ,republic of       
,cyprus is a vital strategic partner to 
the ,united ,states4  7#b7 ,the         
,republic of ,cyprus is a critical      
member of the ,global ,coalition to     
,counter the ,islamic ,state in ,iraq   
and the ,levant4  7#c7 ,the ,united     
,states cooperates closely with the     
,republic of ,cyprus through information
 sharing agreements4  7#d7 ,high-level  
,united ,states officials have assisted 
the ,republic of ,cyprus with crafting  

that nation's national security         
strategy4  7#e7 ,the ,united ,states    
provides training to ,cypriot officials 
in areas such as cybersecurity1         
counterterrorism1 and explosive ordnance
 disposal and stockpile management4     
7#f7 ,the ,republic of ,cyprus is a     
valued member of the ,proliferation     
,security ,initiative to combat the     
trafficking of weapons of mass          
destruction4  7#g7 ,the ,republic of    
,cyprus continues to work closely with  
the ,united ,nations and regional       
partners in ,europe--  7,a7 to combat   
terrorism through law enforcement2  7,b7
 to counter violent extremism programs2 
and  7,c7 to combat terrorism through   
financial mechanisms4  7#h7 ,the ,united
 ,states and the ,republic of ,cyprus   
maintain strong bilateral economic      
relations1 particularly in sectors such 
as energy1 financial services1 and      
logistics4  7#i7 ,the energy exploration
 in the ,republic of ,cyprus's          
,exclusive ,economic ,zone and          

territorial waters-- 7,a7 includes the  
participation of ,united ,states        
companies2  7,b7 furthers ,united       
,states interests by providing a        
potential alternative to ,russian gas   
for ,united ,states allies and partners2
 and  7,c7 should not be impeded by     
other sovereign states4  7#aj7 ,energy  
exploration in the ,eastern             
,mediterranean region must be           
safeguarded against threats posed by    
terrorist and extremist groups1         
including ,hezbollah and others4  7#aa7 
,despite robust economic and security   
relations with the ,united ,states1 the 
,republic of ,cyprus has been subject to
 a ,united ,states embargo prohibiting  
the export of defense articles and      
services since #aihg4  7#ab7 ,the #aihg 
arms embargo was designed to restrict   
,united ,states arms sales and transfer 
to the ,republic of ,cyprus and the     
occupied part of ,cyprus to avoid       
hindering reunification efforts4  7#ac7 
,at least #cj1jjj ,turkish troops are   

stationed in the occupied part of       
,cyprus with weapons procured from the  
,united ,states through mainland        
,turkey4  7#ad7 ,while the ,united      
,states has1 as a matter of policy1     
avoided the provision of defense        
articles and services to the ,republic  
of ,cyprus1 the ,government of ,cyprus  
has sought to obtain these defense      
articles from other countries1 including
 countries that pose challenges to      
,united ,states interests around the    
world4  7#ae7 ,the security of partners 
in the ,eastern ,mediterranean region is
 critical to the security of the ,united
 ,states and ,europe4  #c4 ,sense of the
 ,senate ,it is the sense of the ,senate
 that-- 7#a7 the direct sale or transfer
 of arms by the ,united ,states to the  
,republic of ,cyprus would advance      
,united ,states' security interests in  
,europe by helping to reduce the        
dependence of ,cyprus on other countries
 for defense-related materiel1 including
 countries that pose challenges to      

,united ,states interests around the    
world2 and  7#b7 it is in the interest  
of the ,united ,states-- 7,a7 to        
continue to support ,united             
,nations-facilitated efforts toward a   
comprehensive solution to the division  
of ,cyprus2  7,b7 to affirm the         
importance of demilitarization on the   
island of ,cyprus2 and  7,c7 for the    
,republic of ,cyprus to join ,,nato's   
,partnership for ,peace program4  #d4   
,repeal of prohibition on transfer of   
articles on the ,united ,states         
,munitions ,list to the ,republic of    
,cyprus  7a7 ,in general ,section       
#fbj;,c of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act
 of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcgc7 is      
amended by striking subsection 7e74  7b7
 ,exclusion of the ,government of the   
,republic of ,cyprus from certain       
related regulations ,beginning on the   
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary of ,state shall exclude any  
application made with or under the      
authority of the ,government of the     

,republic of ,cyprus from the           
restrictions set forth in--  7#a7       
section #abf4a7r7 of title #bb1 ,code of
 ,federal ,regulations 7relating to     
prohibited exports1 imports1 and sales  
to or from ,cyprus72 and  7#b7          
,department of ,state ,public ,notice   
#agch 7#eg ,fed4 ,reg4 #fjbfe2 ,december
 #ah1 #aiib2 relating to policy         
governing munitions export licenses to  
,cyprus74